The pressure is on around the globe to produce high-caliber
students at every grade level and to support the needs of all
children. Increasing numbers of educators and school boards are
inviting innovative architects to help them rethink the learning
environment (and in light of the recent tragic events in Newtown,
Connecticut, much of this rethinking will no doubt revolve around
security issues). The schools showcased here, filled with daylight
and flexible spaces, represent the best of such collaborative efforts.
By breaking down traditional assumptions and configurations in
school architecture, design teams are not only responding to current
societal demands and teaching methods, they are also laying
the groundwork for potential changes in the future. Comfortable
and stimulating, these facilities have been planned to accommodate
the work and play necessary for our kids to thrive and grow. — Linda C. Lentz

Handled With Care
As schools for students with autism move from makeshift or retrofitted
quarters to new buildings tailored to their specific programs, architects and
educators focus on what makes the best places for learning.